The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-01

Papers announce the appointment
of general appraiser at Baltimore.
Shall 1 conclude unfinished cases, or
has my suspension taken effect2 An
swer by WIRE"
The public business of the already
over crowded general appraisers Of
fee at this port was thereupon sus-
pended for several hours, until the
arrival of General Appraiser Brewer.
I then waited until after Office hours
the following day but, receiving no
reply to my telegram, concluded to
go to Washington to make inquiry
whether any charges had been filed
against me, and to ascertain, if posi-
BILE. whether my SUSPENSION had taxi
en- effect. failed to see Mr.. Man.
ming, who, I was told. was engaged
in his annual report. did, however,
see Assistant Secretary Fairchild,
who informed me that there were no
charges against me, and that my re-
mOval was Il matter of regret 10 him,
and had resulted from some prior
promise of yours.
1 called again at Secretary Man
ning's Office to inquire whether my
telegram had been received. and was
informed by Mr.. Brennan, his pri-
Vate secretary, that the Secretary had
signed telegram in reply to mine,
which had been prepared in the APP
pointment Division, and returned
there to be sent to me. Upon inquiry
at that Office, was informed that
they did not send sit because they
feared that it might complicate the
appointment" Thus, a telegram,
officially signed by the Secretary of
the Treasury. upon important public
business, was suppressed in the office
of Mr.. Eugene Higgins, appoint
ment clerk.
l then proceeded to Baltimore for
the purpose of officially turning over
the office to my successor. but found
upon my arrival there. which was
about 8 P. NJ. that he had already
taken the oath of Office, although the
official notice of my suspension had
not been delivered to me. This want
of courtesy on his part may be eX-
Cused, however, for the reason that
as Congress was to convene on Mon
day, no time could be lost in the
usual courtesies of such occasions. |
called upon him, however, at his
hotel, and during our conversation
he Informed me that the secretary
had told him that he was succeeding
one of their most efficient officers. l
refer to this only to show that eff
cheney did not secure to me retention
in the service. Was it because [ was
accredited as Maryland appointee :?
A further instance of the distribu-
ton of federal officers in Maryland,
under what looks like the old spoils
system. was given on Saturday, the
4th instant. by the removal of the
local appraisers of the port of Balti-
more, one of whom, Mr.. Linthicum,
was engaged at this port in confer
ence with the appraisers from the
principal ports, convened on the I'd
instant by order of the Secretary of
the Treasury. upon the important
subject of the proper classification of
so-called that material" His sue
cessor took the oath of Office at P.
NJ. on Saturday, and yet Mr.. Linthi-
cum, unconscious of his suspension,
continued in earnest discussion of the
subject on Monday.
am now, and always have been,
heartily in favor of reform in the
public service, and was an earnest
defender of the sincerity of your
public utterances on that subject.
True civil service reform means the
enforcement of public Office from
politics, and should include the state
of Maryland in the scope of its oper-
ations, as we'll as the other states of
the Union.
Appointments to public Offices
should be made with view to the
public good and never at the dicta-
ton of political leaders. Appoint
ments under any other system, even
though confined to the state of Mary.
land, is the cause for sad misgivings
to the many earnest and sincere ad.
vocates of advanced reform in the
public service, who have looked up
on you as a pioneer and cha mpion in
that field.
During my public service felt it
to be my duty sedulously to abstain
from all active participation in poll
tics, and although l am a Republican
l doubt whether you could have as.
certained that fact by inquiry, among
the many business men with whom
l have been thrown in contact in the
performance of my official duties. /